The present invention relates to biodegradable compositions which can be utilized to prepare foam containers, protective wrap, packaging materials and the like.
At the present time polymers such a polystyrene which do not readily degrade in the environment are utilized to make foam containers, protective wraps, packaging materials such as films and "peanuts", which containers, films and the like are used in making disposable cups, containers for fast-food articles and the like. Because of their failure to degrade they have an adverse environmental impact on land fills, from littering in waterways, etc. There has been increased public concern about the utilization thereof to the point where many companies have now decided to stop using the polystyrene materials and to use as alternatives materials made from paper including those utilizing either plastic or wax coated paper. However, it has been found that such paper articles are in many cases even more unsatisfactory in that the processing thereof requires even more plastic to coat the paper and materials are used in the process thereof which are even more detrimental to the environment.
Efforts to make foamed plastic materials that are less adverse to the environment and make them biodegradable have not been successful. Those efforts have included adding other materials to them to make them more susceptible to degradation based on ambient environmental conditions, such as susceptibility to water, sunlight and/or oxygen attack.